latest news from Israel in english

A resident of Jerusalem, tal Fastman vacationing with family on the sea of Galilee in the days of the holiday of Sukkot, leaving the water, found a strange object, different from the rocks on the bottom. Wash the sand, she saw a ceramic figurine of a bird.

«Since my childhood I was fascinated by stories about treasures and amazing finds, wanted one day and she’ll find something ancient. The amazing thing is that it happened on the beach, where a year and the rest tens of thousands of people, and I found it. My dream come true,» says tal.

Pestman immediately contacted the antiquities authority. Find, preserved almost intact, surprised archaeologists. According to them, a figure washed up on shore due to the decrease of the water level in the Kinneret. These sculptures are extremely rare. Most likely, «bird» was a part of the cargo of a sunken ship.

Doctor of art history, ADI Erlich of the University of Haifa notes that ceramic images of animals associated with the Christian funeral customs of the Byzantine era, or rather the V-VI centuries of our era. They were a kind of funerary gifts.

«Handing over discovery to the state, tal has shown itself to be a responsible citizen. We hope the discovery can be seen in the Museum. I encourage anyone who found the ancient object, to take an example from tal,» – said the chief archaeologist of the Galilee, Butrus Khan.

Recall that discovered in Israel antiquities are state property, not the person who found them or owning land on which they were found. Citizens, who found the antiquity shall within 15 days notify the Department of antiquities.

Violators of the law could face imprisonment of up to two years. It is important may be unremarkable at first glance, a crock – it will complement the scientists compiled a mosaic depicting our past.

Discovery on the beach of the sea of Galilee: 1500-year-old clay bird, witness a shipwreck 25.10.2017